Royal Wrap

Royal Round Up: Harry's New Girl and Royal Olympic Plans

The best Royal stories from this weekend’s British papers: Harry’s latest conquest says he is, ‘not her type’, William campaigns for playing fields, junior Royals may lose police protection, Royal’s Olympic plans and Tara P-T on her new love: “In European countries, there are more princes than dentists.”

07.22.12 1:36 PM ET

Harry’s new girl: It’s nothing serious.

Prince Harry was spotted making out with model Cressida Bonas at a London club last week, but Katie Nicholl in the Mail on Sunday reckons her heart lies elsewhere.
“The socialite began dating Harry Wentworth-Stanley, 23, son of the Marchioness of Milford Haven, at university, but when he went travelling after graduation, their romance cooled. Now friends say Cressida, also 23, is desperate to rekindle their relationship. Could hearing about her liaison with the Prince hasten the other Harry’s return?"
Meanwhile the Mirror has a report on the same subject: “She joked, ‘Harry? He’s not even my type’. She’s heard from him since the news broke and they’re both finding it very funny. “Harry definitely wants there to be a romance and has been pursuing her. But she’s playing hard to get. The truth is they’ve known each other for a long time through friends and they party together.”

Will's Playing field campaign

Elsewhere in the Mail, Prince William warns of the danger of allowing children to spend all day ‘cooped up indoors’ instead of enjoying an outdoor lifestyle.
Prince William said: “Some of my happiest memories as a child were those times I spent outside playing games, and I think that is true for most people. Playing a game with a brother, sister or a friend improves confidence and teamwork, it helps children stay healthy and test their physical limits and it’s also great fun.”

The Telegraph: A detailed review of royal security has been ordered in an attempt to cut the multi-million-pound protection budget.

The cost of providing security for members of the Royal family and VIPs was disclosed for the first time in internal police budget figures in 2010, when it was put at £113.5 million a year, or £310,000 a day.
Police, senior Home Office officials and representatives of the Royal household will now carry out a new inquiry, which could lead to “non-working” members of the Royal family losing their armed guards.
Royal protection is handled by a dedicated unit at Scotland Yard known as SO14, with other specialist units guarding politicians such as the Prime Minister and high-risk foreign embassies and diplomats.
SO14 is thought to have 400 officers, who are responsible for guarding about 20 members of the Royal family and their homes.
The Duke of York’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were among the first royal figures to have their protection downgraded.

The Telegraph: The Royal family will throw their full support behind Team GB for the Olympics, attending events on almost every day of the London 2012 Games.

The Olympics are being seen within the Royal household as an opportunity for the young royals to take on more prominent official duties. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will attend several events.
A royal aide said: “The Queen and Prince of Wales will be active in the first few days, and then the younger royals will lead the way in taking up the Olympic baton.”
Prince Harry, who took to the beach in Rio de Janeiro for a game of beach-volleyball on his recent overseas Diamond Jubilee tour to Brazil and the Caribbean, is expected to cheer on the bikini-clad competitors in the beach volleyball event at Horse Guards Parade.
He is also hoping to watch the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who he met while visiting Jamaica.

T P-T Special

Tara Palmer-Tompkinson, friend of the Windsors, says she is courting a European prince. “My love life is better than standard, good-looking princes, that’s all I’ll say, not this country’s though,” she says. “In European countries, there are more princes than dentists.”